


Memories

by Antecanis



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, ConHaythWeek 2016, M/M, chwday4, not a happy one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 20:09:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8859337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antecanis/pseuds/Antecanis
Summary: Haunted by his past decisions, former Grand Master Haytham Kenway has retreated to his secluded villa outside of town to spend the rest of his days consumed by regret. However, the newest retirement gift from Abstergo turns out to be an all too realistic android with uncanny resemblance to Haytham's Assassin son. Can the android soothe the distant pain and unveil what has happened to the real Connor Kenway?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for the prompt "Ex Machina AU; Haytham runs Turing tests. He never knows when he’s facing a new AI or a human, but he has always figured it out rather quickly. Connor and his antics make him doubt himself for the first time. He doesn’t know he is facing his own son until after he comes to a (false?) result." However, it does stray slightly from the prompt, forgive me. I do hope you like it though!! <3 It was a rather spontaneous fill, that basically wrote itself. x)

A knock on the door let Haytham wake up from a deep slumber.  
He found himself in an office, _his_ office in his large villa, and with vague confusion, he straightened in his chair and ran a hand over his face. Memories swirled in his head, and the more power they gained, the more he wished he could go right back to the dreamless slumber he had been so obliviously been trapped in.  
“Yes?”, he managed to shout out after a moment; his voice ringing strangely in his own ears. Not for the first time, he wished he hadn’t woken up at all.  
When the door opened, one of his subordinates came into the room; displaying a somewhat nervous expression.  
“What?”  
“The board, Sir, they have… uh…”  
“Yes?” Haytham’s voice was impatient as his fingers drummed on the wooden surface of the desk. “Don’t waste my time. What is it?”  
“The board has sent me to bring you a gift.”  
“A gift?” Haytham scoffed. Abstergo’s board of directors, a number of high-ranking Templars, rarely interacted with him since he had left his active position as Grand Master for a consulting, honorary rank. He had helped to build their new empire, and his wealth and power succeeded any other Templar’s. But that last mission three years ago had broken his spirit, and he was neither willing nor capable of actively doing any more field work in the name of the Order.  
“It’s a prototype of… of our newest android.”  
“Why do they think I would be interested in that? Send it back immediately. Do they think I get senile in my old days? That I need some robot to… to keep me company?”  
“No, Sir. It’s… it was made specifically for you. The board thought it… you might like to have it.”  
Before Haytham could reply to that, the subordinate turned around and gave a small nod.  
And when a young man stumbled into the office, Haytham’s heart missed a beat.  
Trembling, he got to his feet; his voice leaving him as he laid eyes upon his son.  
  
The young android looked at him with a heartbreaking expression; as if recognizing him from long ago. Tears seemed to form in his eyes as he mutely locked eyes with his father.  
Clenching his fists, Haytham started, “How…”  
Shaking his head, he cleared his voice and bit back the tears. “How dare they!? Get it out of here!”  
Connor flinched; averting his eyes just to look shyly back at the other.  
The subordinate rested a hand onto the android’s shoulder. “I’ll leave him until tomorrow, in case you change your mind, Sir. If not, just give me a call and I shall retrieve him.”  
“I don’t want it!” Haytham shouted, but the subordinate was already retreating.  
Glancing back at the android, Haytham clenched his jaw. How did they even manage to imitate him so well…  
“Father…” The soft voice that sounded so very familiar let the Templar wince.  
“No! No, no, no, you don’t get to address me like this.”, he let out angrily, turning away and trying to keep his emotions under control.  
He could hear the insecure steps of the other coming closer, and with arms crossed in front of his chest, Haytham turned around to face him. His height, his posture; his eyes and the expression in them, it all was so painfully accurate it might just drive him insane.  
“I’m sorry you clearly do not wish for my presence. But I can follow your every wish, Sir. If you please, I will be of any help you can wish for, whatever it may –”  
“Stop. No. No, I don’t… I can’t have you around. Leave.”  
“Sir, I…”  
“Leave! Get out of my house!”  
The android looked at him with a hurt, and barely hidden desperate expression. “Yes, of course.” With that, he turned around, and Haytham could hear his steps on the stairs and eventually, the front door fell shut.

The whole evening, Haytham was more than distraught. He had wanted to call the board and voice his displeasure with their idea; with the audacity of them creating _this,_ but in the end, he didn’t. Yearning for the oblivion that deep, dreamless sleep would have to offer, he had retreated to bed eventually.  
And still, all he could think about was that robot; that machine and the hurt expression in his… in its eyes; just like Connor’s; so very much like Connor’s the last time their eyes had locked. An expression of fear; of understanding, of regret and pain.  
Trying to find some sleep after all, Haytham kept tossing in turning in his vast, lonely bed. Only eventually, sleep overcame him.

_Connor, in his arms… Their eyes locked; the young man’s lips parted as if to say something; as if to breathe out words that could make everything alright again; but it was certainly too late for that now._

Startling up from his sleep, Haytham ran a hand over his face; shuddering as the cool air of night waved over his heated skin. He could hear rain tapping softly against the windows, and for a while he wished he could get lost in the soothing rhythm.  
Getting out of his bed only hesitantly, he stumbled downstairs. His hand rested on the knob for a long moment, and after hesitating for minutes he opened the front door, not knowing what to expect.  
The young man sat on the cold stairs; the rain having soaked him; and he was trembling as he sat there alone; lost and forlorn in the darkness. When he heard the door, he turned around, his face pained yet hopeful.  
The intense expression overwhelmed Haytham and as he fell to his knees next to Connor, he reached out for him; cupping his cheek and not expecting the other’s warmth against his skin.  
“You’re… you’re warm…”, he let out with vague surprise.  
“So are you.”, Connor answered softly, leaning into the touch and closing his eyes for a brief moment.  
“Yes, but…”  
“If you cut me, I’ll bleed. If you hurt me, I’ll cry. I’ll eat and I’ll sleep and I'll breathe. If you’d choose to sleep with me, I’d be aroused; if you wanted, you could feel my heartbeat speeding up under your touches.”  
“But, how… how can one tell you apart from…”  
“From a real person? I cannot. You cannot. I’m as real as you want me to be, father. The only difference is, that I’m only here because of you. I’ll never leave you.”  
“Promise?” Haytham’s voice was small and husky, his eyes filling with tears as he ran his fingers over the young man’s soft, wet skin; his thumb trailing his lips and then brushing dark strands of hair behind an ear.  
“I promise.”  
Leaning in reluctantly, Connor placed his lips onto Haytham’s and the older man responded with a bittersweet melancholia overcoming him; his hands cupping the android’s cheeks as he sat in the rain and wished this could be real.  
“How did you know?”, Haytham asked as he pulled away his flushed lips; his grey eyes searching for his son’s.  
“Know what?”  
“That I would have liked you to kiss me? Don’t you know…? No, you do know I’m your father. Don’t you understand that it’s… wrong?”  
Shaking his head gently, Connor smiled, but his eyes remained sad. “I didn’t know you wanted it. I wanted it. And how can it be wrong? We’re not really… related, are we?”  
Swallowing hard and trying to return the smile, Haytham bit back tears.  
“No. We aren't.”, he let out huskily as he reached out to pull the android in his arms.

When Haytham woke up in the morning, he found himself not alone in the vast bed. By his side lay Connor; curled up and fast asleep as it seemed. Haytham shifted a bit, reaching out to let his fingers run over the other’s cheek and playing with strands of black hair. It had felt strange to fall asleep next to the android; knowing he wasn’t real and still - having another warm body press close to his’ in an almost innocent embrace.  
Only then he had realized how much he had yearned for such a warm touch; for those small, tender gestures. But at the same time, the boy’s presence cut open what he had buried beneath layers of bitterness and regret; of shame and pain.  
Connor opened his eyes, and the tired expression in them was perfect; as if still distant dreams clung to them. When he seemed to realize where he was and who he was with, a small smile stealthily appeared on his lips. Holding his breath as if fearing for rejection, he shifted closer and pressed his lips onto his father’s.  
Returning the kiss slowly, Haytham pulled him back into his arms; once more baffled by the other’s soft skin; his warmth and all those small gestures that let him appear so very real.  
When he broke the kiss, he let out a shaky breath he hadn’t known he was holding. “If I wouldn’t know… I would’ve never guessed. I suppose you could pass the Turing test easily.”  
To his surprise, Connor let out a little joyless laugh. “I suppose so…”  
But before Haytham had a chance to ask what the android thought was funny about that remark, Connor wriggled from his grip and got up.  
He was wearing a shirt Haytham had handed him on the previous night as well as one of his shorts, and the older man regarded the other with veiled interest; too aware of the other’s perfect curves; of the wonderful color of his skin that seemed to glow in the soft morning light. He couldn’t remember when he had seen such a beautiful sight in his life before.  
Apparently knowing how the house was divided, Connor made his way to the bathroom, and Haytham only vaguely wondered why.  
Turning around again, he reached out and let his fingers run over the spot Connor had been lying just moments ago; disbelief still clouding his mind. He was so real… almost not distinguishable from the original… how did they manage to get everything just right? His voice, his eyes? Everything about him felt right, and still… Haytham knew he’d never see the original again. All he had left was pain. Or maybe…

“Father?”  
Turning so he could see the young man, Haytham shuddered when he saw the other only wearing his shirt now; most of the buttons undone; revealing not only his broad, muscular chest, but his dark pubic hair and cock.  
Blinking, Haytham sat up. He could spot scars on the skin, and the knowledge of them being there by design hurt; hurt because he wouldn’t know if they were accurate; if they had been really there or not…  
Reaching up to undo the remaining buttons, a shy and somewhat flustered expression adorned the young man’s soft features; letting him appear so real that Haytham’s breath caught in his throat.  
“Do you want me? Do I look appealing to you?”  
“Connor…” Only after he had whispered his name, Haytham realized that it had been the first time. Shuddering, he averted his gaze.  
“You can take me just like this; I can take you without further preparation; and you don’t need to wear a condom, since… it’s not… not real.”  
Looking up again, Haytham swallowed hard. “No… I –“ But his voice left him as he watched the shirt fall to the floor. “Is that… why you’re here?” He couldn’t hide a certain bitterness from being audible in his voice. “Do they think I need a sexbot to get back on my feet? Too keep me busy with?”  
The android seemed hurt by the implication and reached for the shirt to cover himself with it again. “No.”, he muttered. “I just… I thought you might want it, too.”  
“Too? You’ve… you don’t know me.”  
“I know everything one can possibly find out about you, Haytham Edward Kenway. You were born on 4 December, and you have joined the Order after your father’s death; you have worked under one Reginald Birch, but soon you were the uprising talent in the company. The US branch of Abstergo has flourished after you were the youngest Grand Master to ever be appointed here. Their virtual reality technology paired with android development has established an enormous international power; every device on the planet works with your company’s software. You have battled the Assassins quite effectively, but three years ago…”  
“Stop.”  
Shaking his head, Haytham buried his face in his hands as he tried to figure out what to do.  
“Did you love him?” Connor’s voice was soft, and Haytham looked up again with a mixture of anger and anguish.  
“That’s none of your business.”  
Shaking his head, Connor came closer again, sitting down at the edge of the bed and reaching out for Haytham. Gently, he pulled him into his arms; letting the older man rest his head in the crook of his neck. “I’m here, Haytham. I’m right here. I'm not going anywhere."  
Running his hands through the Templar’s silver hair, the android kissed the top of his head.  
Letting out a shaky breath, Haytham tried to memorize just how warm his name sounded from the boy’s lips; how melodious and loving.  
Raising his head again, he caught the other’s lips in a kiss, wishing it was true; wishing Connor could be right there in his arms.  
Haytham pulled him down onto the bed; letting his hands roam over the android’s skin; still baffled by how real he felt under his touch; shivering and moving just like any man might.  
Connor’s hands wandered over his skin in return; a shy, exploring touch; only eventually being bold enough to cup his father’s cock through the fabric of his pants.  
Breathing out a surprised sound, the android quivered. “It’s so… so big.”, he muttered, seemingly impressed. Guessing he was programmed to praise his lover’s size, Haytham couldn’t help but grin, resuming his kisses; letting his lips trail over Connor’s cheek and neck; his chest and shoulder.  
His fingers slowly trailed down; running over the young man’s erection and down to his entrance. It felt slick and when he pushed a finger inside, it slid smoothly into the other’s body.  
Groaning, Haytham let the other push down his sleeping pants and before he had even been able to rethink the whole situation, he was already pushing inside of Connor greedily.  
With a gasp, the young man spread his legs further; his hips trembling as he moved them up to meet with his father’s.  
Even though Haytham had had sex before, this time still felt like his first; the hot tightness of the other’s body letting him lose his mind. Starting to move roughly, he clasped the other’s thighs; wishing he could fuck away the feeling of numbness and regret; replace that last image of Connor with the one he could see now; the young man beneath him, his legs spread and his flushed face displaying a raw pleasure as his father thrust into him.  
“H-harder!”, he cried out shamelessly; his fingers buried into the sheets; and even though Haytham could guess that dialogue such as this was ripped from any cheap porno, he couldn’t deny the effect begs such as this from the other’s lips had on him. “F-fuck me harder, father!”  
Panting, he complied; slamming into the other’s body and not holding back; enjoying how the young man clamped down on him; how it felt so real it made every fiber of Haytham’s body ache with longing, and with hope.

And even though there was still some reluctance to keep the android around left in Haytham’s heart, he did not send Connor away.  
The young man didn’t bring that specific topic up again, and Haytham was glad about it. He couldn’t quite explain his motivations for keeping him after all, and he knew they were too complicated to elaborate; mixed with so many emotions and just a certain dose of self-hatred.  
The days flowed by slowly and with every passing moment he spent with Connor, the less likely it was for Haytham to ever let go of the young man again.  
Their sex was heated and intense; neither of them seemed to hold back, and some nights, they couldn’t let go of each other until it dawned; the first light reaching them breathless, pleasured and still yearning.

Every morning, Haytham’s heart missed a beat as he opened his eyes and wondered if he could find the other by his side. And every morning, the young man was right there; curled up by his side and opening his eyes to the first touch Haytham dared.  
“Say you forgive me.” Haytham’s voice was soft as he reached out to let his fingers run over Connor’s skin that morning; every time anew in awe just how perfect the android was.  
Connor’s eyes were dark and illegible as he opened them slowly as he locked eyes with the other. Not hesitating another heartbeat, he answered. “I forgive you, father.”  
Haytham couldn’t bite back the tears welling up in his eyes as he regarded the other. Huskily, he breathed out, “Tell me you love me.”  
But before Connor could say it, Haytham shushed him again. “No, no…”, he muttered as a raw sob left his throat. And as more shook his broad frame, he shifted into the other’s arms; burying his face in the other’s neck and allowing those long suppressed tears to soak the other’s warm skin.  
“No, no, I don’t deserve to hear that from you.”


	2. Chapter 2

One mild spring day, Haytham decided to take a walk with Connor. It was their first time being together outside of the villa, and the Templar was vaguely uneasy for no specific reason.  
A few of his subordinates shadowed them; aware of possible threats awaiting the former Grand Master outside. Ever since the incident three years ago, there were enough Assassins looking for revenge.  
Strolling through a nearby forest, the two of them enjoyed the peaceful day; only occasionally exchanging a few words.  
“Did you… how long were you, well, _there_ before you came to me?”  
Shaking his head a little, Connor gave a brief smile. “The first thing I really remember is your office.”, he said slowly, eyeing the other from the corner of his eyes.  
Giving a vague grunt, Haytham nodded; not knowing if he should feel relieved to hear that the only person Connor really knew was him.  
“Let us get out more often.”, Connor mumbled after a moment of silence. “Just like this, nothing… fancy, really. Just a whiff of fresh air once in a while.”  
“Why?” There was some surprise in Haytham’s voice and his heart throbbed when he could see the other blush.  
“It just makes everything more real, you know? The light, the details around us… it’s all so beautiful. You’ve locked yourself away for so long…”  
Shaking his head a little, Haytham swallowed heavily. “Of course, if you wish.”  
  
When the winding path they followed lead around a rocky corner, a dark figure emerged from an unobserved angle and the two of them had only seconds to react when the cold steel of a gun glistened in the mild sunshine.  
The figure seemed to hesitate for just a second, but then the first shots went off as Haytham tackled the android to the ground; leaning over him and pressing Connor’s head against his chest as he shielded him from harm.  
Their following subordinates had caught up to them in a hurry, and soon everything was over; the shooter gunned down by Haytham’s men.  
“Are you alright?”, one of the subordinates let out with clear worry, placing a hand onto Haytham’s shoulder and trying to get him to let go of Connor.  
The young man said hastily, “He’s – he’s just fine. But – I can’t get hurt. I should be the one shielding him!”  
After a moment of silence in which Haytham got up with a groan, the subordinate cleared his throat and added, “He’s right, Sir! What the fuck? Don’t ever do that again. He’s a goddamn robot, he can’t get hurt! He’s not real!”  
Turning around after having helped Connor up, Haytham let out angrily, “No! You know what? I have made this decision before – him or me: And I chose wrong when I chose myself and my ideals over him. If it ever comes down to this again – I’ll choose him.”  
In his anger he didn’t notice the tears streaming over the young man’s face; inaudible sobs shaking his body as he stealthily wiped them away.

In the following weeks, Haytham kept his promise and went on more nature walks with Connor; heavily guarded but intimate enough for them to have talks, or to find a secluded spot to have sex.  
The days were like a dream to Haytham; and by now, he couldn’t deny the growing affection for the android anymore; he knew that he’d do anything for him if it came to it.  
One night, after a long walk in a spring rain, the two of them had showered together and were now sprawled out on the vast bed; their legs tangled and their naked bodies pressed together in a lazy embrace.  
“Father…”  
Giving a languid hum, Haytham pressed a soft kiss to the other’s throat; his hands resting on the other’s thighs with his fingers drawing idle circles on the soft skin.  
“Do you know where he is?”  
Stilling his motions, Haytham raised his head and locked eyes with the other. Connor’s expression was foremost relaxed, but there was a pained gleam in his dark eyes; a somewhat hurt bit of himself that never seemed to fully go away.  
“Who?”, Haytham asked slowly, but he knew the answer.  
“Your son.”  
Shaking his head because he didn’t want to talk about it, Haytham cleared his throat. His fingers resumed their lazy trails and after a moment, he answered, “He’s dead.”  
“What happened?”  
“Don’t you know that? Didn’t they give you that information?”  
“I want to hear it from you.”  
Smiling joylessly, Haytham closed his eyes for a moment, wishing the image of Connor dying in his arms would someday stop haunting him to his very core.  
_Connor, in his arms… Their eyes locked; the young man’s lips parted as if to say something; as if to breathe out words that could make everything alright again; but it was certainly too late for that now. His eyes were already expressionless and numb; his lips never breathing out another sound. And Haytham held him; cradling the other’s lifeless body; his heart breaking into so many pieces no one could ever put it together again; knowing that this pain would remain forever. That this pain would consume him and be the only thing to ever stay by his side._  
“I killed him.”, he said huskily, opening his eyes again and regarding the young man in his arms; the very image of his son. “He was an Assassin, and even though we worked together for a while, I knew one day I would have to choose…”  
“And you chose the Order?”  
“Yes. And I know that he would’ve done the same in my position; choosing the Creed and his ideals over me.”  
Averting his eyes, Connor pressed just a bit closer, pressing his face against Haytham’s chest and hugging him tightly. “I’m so sorry.”  
“Don’t be sorry, Connor.” Kissing the top of the young man’s head, Haytham let his hands run over the other’s back soothingly; wondering if the android could even understand what that meant – death; could grasp the pain pulsing through the Templar with every heartbeat.  
“You’ll never have to make such a decision again.”, Connor muttered, and his breath felt hot on Haytham’s skin.  
“I hope you’re right…”

As if time had decided to pass faster now that Connor had entered his life, Haytham soon found himself opening the windows in his villa; hoping for a breeze of fresh air in the hot summer. Their walks had ceased for the time being because the sun was merciless, and neither of them enjoyed to spend hours outside in that kind of weather.  
Instead, their days consisted of them staying in bed for hours; reading to each other or in silence; their bodies barely touching in one moment, and entangled in a slow lovemaking the other; taking long showers afterwards to cool down again. By now, the line of real and unreal had blurred so much that now and then, Haytham forgot that Connor wasn’t human.  
Cutting himself when preparing dinner, the android bled; after letting himself get fucked for hours, he was sweaty and exhausted; longing for a shower and tender kisses to make up for the rough sex he demanded.

“Why didn’t you sleep with him?”  
The question came seemingly out of nowhere and Haytham’s head jerked up from the book he had been reading. His grey eyes searched for the other’s and he wondered why Connor’s question hadn’t been if he had slept with his son, but why he didn’t.  
Clenching his jaw, he averted his eyes. “I don’t… he didn’t know; I reckon. And for the longest time, I simply didn’t realize just how much I wanted him. I wasted all the time we had together. And I keep thinking…. Thinking: What if?” He ran a hand over his face and closed the book. “I could have faked some test; claim we’re not really related, and we could’ve lived together, leave all the Templars and Assassins behind… But I say that now, after I…”  
Smiling without meaning it, he looked into Connor’s dark eyes; wishing he could lose himself in them forever. “After I killed him. I looked into his eyes when he died by my hand, and I... I just… even though I knew he’d done the same, I can’t help but wonder if he would miss me like I miss him? Would he regret it with every breath like I do? What would he do in my position?”  
Tears welled up in Connor’s eyes as he reached out to pull the other into his arms. “I know he’d feel the very same. He’d miss you with every heartbeat; with every breath and every passing second. How can he not? How can he not long to be with the one person he would always long for? Wishing it could be made undone; could be reversed and the pain eased; the decision made again and differently… Seeing his father live instead of him; imagining how he would spend his days; wondering… if it was the same for him. If he would miss him the same; blurring the lines of love and regret; of pain and yearning; of reality and dream.”  
Before Haytham could respond, Connor’s lips found his' and he seemed to silence himself as he kissed the other; a gesture with a longing so palpable that it let Haytham shiver; making him wonder if he was going mad because the boy in his arms felt as real as he ever could; his heart pounding against his father’s skin as he pressed close and wrapped his leg’s around the other’s hips. Giving the older man’s cock a few good strokes, he guided Haytham's erection to his slick entrance and in their tangled embrace they became one once more; connected as if both of them were equally real; yearning for the other’s touch; for the feeling of them being able to leave every memory behind and grasp the fleeting hope that not everything was lost to the past.

A strange sound let Haytham wake up from a deep slumber.  
He found himself in an office, _his_ office, and with vague confusion, he straightened in his chair and ran a hand over his face. Memories swirled in his head, and the more power they gained, the more he felt like something was wrong. This morning, Connor had seemed so strangely distracted; after their talk during the previous night he seemed unhinged, if that was even possible.  
“Connor?”, he managed to shout out after a moment; his voice ringing strangely in his own ears as he got up. When he entered the bedroom, he found the boy sitting on the bed; his broad back turned towards Haytham with his shoulders slumped.  
After Haytham had regarded him mutely for a moment, he repeated softly, “Connor?”  
Turning around slowly, the young man’s expression was incredibly pained; his eyes red and swollen as if he had cried for a while.  
“You should be sleeping.”, Connor muttered and a smile appeared on his quivering lips. Only now, Haytham saw the gun in his hands.  
“What…?” Swallowing heavily and feeling how his heart was beating hard in his chest, Haytham stumbled closer.  
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t think…” Connor sobbed.  
With trembling hands, Haytham reached out for the other. “Are you going to kill me?”, his voice was quiet, and there was even a bit of relief audible in it.  
Connor gave a mixture of amused huff and sob. “No, of course not. You still don’t understand, do you?”  
“Understand what?”  
“I’m not an android.”  
Locking eyes with Connor, Haytham could feel his heart miss a beat. It couldn’t be; he had seen Connor die by his hand in his arms…  
“But… I saw you die. You died in my arms; it’s just the… the code. You think you’re real, and by the heavens, no one would think otherwise if they met you.”  
“I didn’t die that day. You did.”  
Stumbling backwards a bit, Haytham’s thoughts raced. Trembling, he averted his gaze down to his hands; shakily regarding their slim limbs and perfect curves. _No, no…_  
“I wished it had been like that; I wished I had been the one to die. I let them build you so I could live in this fantasy, so I could get to be the one to save you from your pain and by that, ease mine.”  
Another sob escaped him and he got up. “Those men you thought of your subordinates are my Assassins. The man who attacked us was a Templar; trying to avenge your death that I caused. Your memories are code; nothing more. I didn’t die in your arms, father, you died in _mine.”_  
When Connor reached out to cup the other’s cheek, tears streamed over his face but no more sobs shook his frame. “But you’re not him." His voice broke. "And no matter how much I drown in you, in this life, I can never, never make it right again. When I cradled his lifeless body, I knew that this pain would remain forever. That it would consume me and be the only thing to ever truly accompany me... I’m sorry for breaking the first promise I made to you, but I can’t stay. I don’t deserve this life with you. But maybe it’s good you woke up before I left; so you could hear it from my lips after all. Maybe I'm not cursed to be a ghost when I can say it out loud before I go." Shaking his head a little as he gave one last, heartfelt smile, he said, " _I love you, Haytham.”_  
And the moment the words had left his lips, Connor raised the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger.

Connor, in his arms… Their eyes locked; the young man’s lips parted as if to say something; as if to breathe out words that could make everything alright again; but it was certainly too late for that now. His eyes were already expressionless and numb; his lips never breathing out another sound. And Haytham held him; cradling the other’s lifeless body; his heart breaking into so many pieces no one could ever put it together again, knowing that this pain would remain forever. That this pain would consume him and be the only thing to ever stay by his side.


End file.
